Flanging-machine.



PATENTED MAY 10, 1904 J. P. SNEDDON.

FLANGING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 1 23.14, 1903.

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PATENTED MAY 10, 1904.

J. .P. SNEDDON.

FLANGING TION r11.

MACHINE.

UNITED STATES Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES P. SNEDDON, OF BARBERTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE STIRLING COMPANY,OF CHICAGO, lLLlNOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FLANGlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,482, dated May 10,1904.

Application filed February 1 1903. Serial No. 143,352. (No model.)

To all, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMns P. SNEDDoN,a resident of Barberton, in thecounty of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Flanging-Machines; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to apparatus for flanging the metal surroundingholes in the Walls of wrought-metal boiler-headers or other tubulararticles; and its object is to provide a gang or multiple press forsimultaneously Hanging a plurality of holes in headers and otherarticles and whereby the flanging tools or implements will always bedirected exactly in the axial line of the holes to be flanged andirrespective of any shrinkage that may occur in the article beingflanged.

A further object of my invention is to provide a flanging implement ortool especially adapted for forming flanges projecting at a slight anglefrom the perpendicular to the tube or other article being flanged.

In certain types of water-tube boilers the tubes are connected at eithertheir front end or both at their front and rear ends to vertical memberstechnically known as headers and which communicateat their upper endswith the steam and water drum. In marine boilers, where lightness isessential, these headers are formed of wrought metal. The tubes areinserted in holes through the rear walls of the headers, andcorresponding holes are formed in the front Walls to permit either ofthe cleaning of the tubes in some types of boilers or of their removalin other types of boilers, such as Niclausse boilers. The walls of theheaders are formed of comparatively thin plate metal, so that it isnecessary to form flanges around the holes in order to provide properseats for the water-tubes or to provide a suitable seat for thehandholds which close the openings in the front walls. These flangesordinarily are turned outwardly and are formed by forcing a suitabletool or implement through the holes in the wall, while the header issupported upon a suitable bed or anvil having a recess therein, intowhich the flange is turned. As these headers sometimes are quite longand contain a large num- 5 ber of holes, the flanging of them becomesquite a serious problem, for if each tube-hole is flanged separately alarge amount of time is required, thus necessitating frequent reheatingsof the header in order to keep it at a good flanging heat. Thesefrequent reheatings not only consume time and are costly, but alsodetrimentally affect the metal.

It has been proposed to flange all of the holes in one of the walls ofthe header simul- 0 taneously by using a gang or multiple flanging-presshaving as many flanging-plungers as there are holes to be flanged, sothat by a single actuation of the press all of the holes in any one wallof the header are completed. 5 With these gang or multiple presses thepractice has been to hold the flanging plungers or pins rigid withreference to their carrying or supporting means. In practice it has beenfound that all of the flanging plungers or pins of such gang-presses arenot at all times properly centered with reference to their respectiveholes,this being due to the unequal expansion and shrinkage of theheated header. The temperature of the headers 0b viously cannot alwaysbe the same, and, furthermore, they will cool more rapidly at one timethan another and also more time may be consumed at one time than atanother in getting the flanging implements into position for operation,so that it is never certain just what will be the temperature of theheader at the moment of operating the press. This variation intemperature causes various degrees of shrinkage in the header, and 5 asthe latter is quite a long body this shrinkage will be considerable, sothat if the flanging plungers or pins have been set with reference to acertain space between the two end holes it may be found that the headerhas shrunk to such. an extent that if the pin or plunger at one end isproperly centered with reference to its hole the corresponding pin atthe opposite end of the header will be a considerable distance out ofthe center of its hole and the various pins in between the two end oneswill correspondingly vary from the centers of their respective holes.This may result in forcing the flangingimplements or bedies eccentrically through the holes and producing irregularities in the headers.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a flanging-press soconstructed that the foregoing difficulties are overcome and wherein allof the flanging plungers or pins will be accurately centered withreference to their respective holes and irrespective of any variation inthe heat or shrinkage of the header.

In most water-tube boilers the tubes are inclined from the horizontaland the headers generally are placed approximately in a perpendicularposition, so that the flanges forming the seats for the tube must beinclined from the perpendicular to the axis of the header.

A further object of my invention is to provide a flanging implement orprojectile and a press for using the same, whereby the flanges can beformed at the necessary incline from the perpendicular with ease andaccuracy.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly insection, showing my improved flanging press. Fig. 2 is a plan View ofthe anvil or supporting-die. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional viewshowing the manner of connecting the pins or plungers to their carrieror support, and Fig. 4 is a side View of one of the flanging implementsor projectiles used.

In the drawings, 1 represents the anvil or sup-' porting-die, upon whichthe header is placed. This anvil is provided with a series of holes orrecesses 2 in the face thereof, said recesses in number, dimensions, andrelative spacing corresponding to the number, diameter, and relativepositions of the water-tubes required in the particular form of boilerfor which the header is designed. As shown in Fig. 2, there are threerows of small holes for most of the length of the header and two rows oflarger holes for the remainder of the distance, these several holesbeing placed in such position that the tubes inserted therein will havethe required staggered relation. The number, size, and relative locationof these holes will differ with different headers, and the anvil orsupporting-die 1 must be provided with correspondingholes or recesses.Around the upper ends of these holes are annular cavities 3, which form,in effect,die-cavities into which the flanges are turned and by whichthey are shaped to some extent.

Above the anvil or die 1 is a suitable support or cross-head 4, carryinga series of plungers or pins 5, corresponding in number, dimension, andrelative spacing to the holes in the anvil. These plungers or pins aremounted on the support or cross-head in such a manner that they have amovement laterally in all directions. This can be secured by variousmeanssuch, for instance, as having a balland socket connection; but asthe lateral in shrinkage of the header.

movement need be only very slight I prefer to provide the pins at theirupper ends with heads 6 and secure them in'place by means of aface-plate 7, suitably secured to the crosshead or other support. Theopenings through the securing-plate 7 and the cavities in the cross-headin which the heads 6 lie are of sufficient size, as shown in Fig. 3, topermit the pins to swing slightly in all directions. Consequently thepins can adjust themselves so that they will force the flangingimplement or body centrally through their respective holes andirrespective of any variation of shrinkage that may occur in the header.Either the support 4 or the anvil 1 will be reciprocated, and thisreciprocation may be secured by any convenient mechanism. but preferablyby a standard hydraulic press. In the drawings the anvil 1 is shown asthe movable member,

being actuated by the power-cylinders 8.

The flanging implements or projectiles, as I term them, must beindependent of the plungers or pins 5 in order that they can be insertedin the header or other tubular article and forced through the lower wallthereof. Various forms of such implements or pro jectiles may be used,such as a sphere or semisphere, as shown in my patent granted February11,1902, No. 693,177, or a section of an ellipse, section of cone, orany other preferred shape. A preferred form of such projectile is shownin Fig. 4:, the same having a body portion 10, which is a modifiedtruncated cone, and having on its top face a countersunk conical orconcave depression 11. The lower ends of the plungers or pins 5 areconical or convex, so that in the operation of the press when the pinsapproach the projectiles their conical ends will slide down into thecountersunk recesses 11 of the projectiles and center themselvestherein, the pins swinging in their bearings to permit this. .As aconsequence they will force the projectiles perpendicularly andcentrally through the holes in the wall of the header and throw out aflange uniformly all around said hole and irrespective 0f variatio s Inorder to give these flanges a proper inclination to the perpendicular,the upper face of the anvil or die 1 is inclined, the particularinclination shown in the drawings being an angle of one to ten to thehorizontal; but this, of course, will vary with different headers. As aconsequence when the projectiles are forced through the holes in aperpendicular direction the flanges will be given the properinclination. The pins or plungers 5 preferably will all be of the samelength, and the lower face of the support or cross-head 4: is inclinedin the same direction and to the same degree as the anvil 1; but thesame result could be secured by making the lower face of the cross-headhorizontal and having pins of varying lengths. The flanging implementsor projectiles 1O likewise are preferably shaped to corfespond to theangle sequently when pressure is applied to'their upper faces they willbe forced in a perpendicular direction through the header whensup-ported on the inclined anvil or die 1. Preferably, also, theseprojectiles will be provided on their lower faces with the teat orprojection-'13, adapted'to lit in thehole over which the projectile isplaced, in order to properly-position the same and'to initially guidethe projectile in its downward movement. The projectiles are provided intheir sides-with holes, such as shown at15, into as 16, by meansofwhichthe projectiles can be conveniently inserted in the header and placedovertheirrespective holes.

The Hanging implement is not claimed in this application, but is claimedin my application, Serial No. 176,039, filed October 7, 1903, and beinga division of this application.

While I have shown and described my invention particularly as adaptedfor Hanging holes in wrought-metal headers, it isto be understood thatit is not limited thereto, but that it is equally as well adapted forHanging holes in any other tubular article and also that certainfeatures thereof are applicable for flanging holes in articles which arenot tubular-such, for instance, as flat metal plates. It is obvious thatthe loose connection of the pins or plungers with their support will beequally advantageous when flanging a hot flat plate as when hanging ahot tubular article, as the shrinkage of the plate is liable to causeexactly the same variation as the shrinkage of the hot header. Forhanging plates, however, the hanging tool or implement need notnecessarily be entirely separate from the plungers, but could be formedintegral therewith, but preferably as a separate piece hinged thereto,so that when the plunger assumesa position slightly out of theperpendicular the flanging head or implement itself can pass through theplate in a true perpendicular direction. Furthermore, the particularform of flanging projectiles shown is of value in flanging a fiat plateor any other article when supported in an inclined position equally aswell as for hanging the tubular header shown when supported in a similarposition.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In apparatus for flanging holes in wrought-metal articles, thecombination of an anvil or supporting-die having a series of recessestherein, a series of flanging plungersor pins, a support to which saidpins are loosely connected, said pins being free from supports or guidesat all other points of their length so as to be capable of swingingfreely in all directions, and means for causing said support and theanvil to approach each other.

2. In apparatus for fianging holes in wrought-metal tubular articles,the combination of an anvil orsupporting-die having a series of recessestherein, a series of plungers or pins, a support to which said plungersor pins are loosely connected, said plungers or pins-being free fromsupports or guides at all other points of their length,ineans forcausing said anvil and support to approach each other, and a number ofseparate implements or projectiles adapted to be placed in the tube andforced by the plungers through holes in the wall of said tubulararticle.

3. In apparatus for flanging holes in wrought-metal tubular articles,the combination of an anvil or supporting-die having a series ofrecesses therein, a series of plungers or pins, a support to which thesame are loosely connected, said plunger-s or pins being free fromsupports or guides at all other points of their length, means forcausing said support and anvil to approach eachother, a series ofimplements or projectiles corresponding in number to the plungers andadapted to be forced by the plungers through the holes in the tubulararticle, and coacting faces on the ends of the plungers and upper endsof the projectiles adapted to center the plungcrs with reference to saidprojectiles.

4:. In apparatus for hanging holes in wrought-metal tubular articles,the combination of a die or support having a series of recesses therein,a series of plungers or pins, a support to which said plungers areloosely connected, a corresponding number of separate implements orprojectiles adapted to be forced by the plungers through the holes inthe wall of said tubular article, said plungers having reduced centeringends and said implements or projectiles having centering depressions intheir upper faces, whereby the plungers are centered with reference tothe implements.

5. I11 apparatus for flanging wrought-metal tubular articles, thecombination of an anvil or supporting-die having a recess therein, animplement or projectile adapted to beinserted in the tube and placedover the hole in one of the walls thereof, said projectile having acentering depression in its upper face, and a plunger provided with areduced centering end adapted to center itself in the depression in theprojectile and force the same through the hole over which it is placed.

6. In apparatus for fianging wrought-metal tubular articles, thecombination of an anvil or supporting-die having a recess therein, animplement or projectile adapted to be inserted in the tube and placedover a hole in one of the walls thereof, said projectile having acentering depression in its upper face, a plunger provided with areduced centering end adapted to seat itself in the conical depressionin the upper face of the projectile and force the same through the holeover which it is placed, and a support or carrier to which said plungeris loosely connected. I

7. In apparatus for flanging wrought-metal tubular articles, thecombination of an anvil or supporting-die having an inclinedsupporting-face with a series of recesses therein, a series ofimplements or projectiles adapted to be inserted in thetube and placedover holes in the walls thereof, said projectiles having non-sphericallower faces inclined to their perpendicular axes, and a series ofplungers arranged to engage said projectiles and force them through theholes over which they are placed.

8. In apparatus for flanging wrought-metal tubular articles, thecombination of an anvil or supporting-die having an inclinedsupporting-face with a series of recesses therein, a series ofprojectiles or implements adapted to be inserted in the tube and placedover holes in one of the Walls thereof, said projectiles havingnon-spherical lower faces inclined to their perpendicular axes, a seriesof plungers arranged to engage said projectiles and force them throughthe holes over which they are placed, said plungers and projectileshaving coacting faces adapted to center the plungers with reference tothe projectiles, and a support to which said plungers are looselyconnected.

9. In apparatus for fianging wrought-metal tubular articles, thecombination of an anvil or supporting-die having a series of recessestherein and provided with an inclined supporting-face, a series ofimplements or projectiles JAMES P. SNEDDON.

I/Vitnesses:

E. E. BAKER, J. G. FRANK.

